


The Precipice of Too Late

by romanticalgirl



Category: Dawson's Creek
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-11
Updated: 2014-02-11
Packaged: 2018-01-11 23:10:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1179055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/pseuds/romanticalgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally posted 10/15/00</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Precipice of Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted 10/15/00

“I heard a rumor.”

“They fly fast and thick through the Capeside air.”

Doug nodded and sank down onto the park bench. “I don’t suppose you’d care to clear it up for me?”

Her eyes trained on Alexander, Bessie shrugged. “Is it any of your business?”

“No.”

They were both silent for a long while, watching Alexander play in the sandbox with three other kids his age. “Well then, I should be going.” Doug started to stand, stopping when Bessie grabbed his hand.

“Don’t go.”

“Why not? You’ve as much as told me to go away never to return. Why should I stay here and just make myself miserable?”

“Because it is your business. At least it was a long time ago.” Bessie finally turned away from her son long enough to look at Doug, only to find he was looking away from her. “Do you want it to be again?”

“Sounds as if I’m far too late for that, Bessie.” This time he did stand, disengaging his hand from hers. “But then, it was far too late a very long time ago, wasn’t it?”

She nodded, knowing he was already gone. Knowing he wasn’t looking back.

**

Doug sank onto a barstool and stared at the bottles splayed out behind the bar. When the woman behind the counter came up to him, he barely noticed. “You look like you could use a drink.”

“I could use several.” Doug managed to find her eyes and smiled weakly. “The only problem with that would be that I don’t drink.”

“You’re in a strange place for a man with that particular affliction.”

“I’ve been in stranger.” He looked at her, seemingly for the first time and shook his head. “I’ll just have a Coke, okay?”

She shrugged and poured his drink, setting it in front of him. “There’s a old wives tale that states that bartenders are notoriously good listeners. I’m doing my dissertation on it. Care to help me with some research?”

The bar was relatively empty as he surveyed it. Despite the fact that it was still summer and the tourist season was going strong, he’d managed to stumble into a tavern that seemed to cater only to the year round citizenry. “You want to hear my problems?”

“You seem surprised.”

“It’s not an occasion that I’m all that accustomed to. Normally there’s so much drama going on in the lives around me that I don’t even seem to realize that I’ve got drama of my own.”

“Or that someone would care enough to hear about it?”

“Something like that.”

“Well then, consider yourself lucky enough to have found the only person in the world with a life so boring that yours will seem interesting.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Meg. Meg Baxter.”

“Doug. Doug Witter.”

“Nice to meet you, Doug. Even if it is under less than auspicious circumstances.” She wiped the counter in front of them, her eyes looking around the bar quickly. There were only two other people in the place, and one of them had been nice enough to pass out at the back booth. “So, tell me your tale of woe.”

“The woman I’ve been in love with since high school is getting married.”

“She know you love her?”

“You mean have I gotten down on one knee and confessed my heartfelt emotion? No. Have I stood outside her window and serenaded her with love songs so sappy they’d put a schoolgirl to shame? Not quite.”

“Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of just saying, ‘hey, you know I love you?’”

“Ah. Well, I haven’t exactly done that either.”

“Ever?”

Doug took a long drink from the glass in front of him, not sure if he wanted to answer the question. Finally, the ice clinking against his teeth, he lowered the glass and sighed. “No.”

“Well, I hate to go out on a limb and speculate here, but that might be your big problem.”

“She knows.”

“You know men who say that always seem surprised to find that women have no ability to read minds at all.” Meg gave him a knowing smile. “She only knows if you tell her or you show her. Have you shown her?”

“I helped arrest her father. Twice.”

“Well, there’s a declaration of love that would leave any woman breathless.” Her smile descended into a smirk, even though she could tell he wasn’t joking. “Was her father guilty?”

“Gave his own confession the second time. The first time it was a clean case. No question at all. Of course, that didn’t make much difference when her mother died and she was left at twenty-two to raise her twelve year old sister.”

“Wow. You know how to woo a woman, don’t you?”

“You know, you keep the sarcasm up and I’m going to have to begin to suspect that you and I are related.” Doug took another drink, hiding a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “So, she’s getting married, I don’t imagine she much likes me and I’m still in love with her. What would your old wives tale advice suggest?”

“Cod liver oil twice a day while you think about her. That should cure you of any romantic notions.” She refilled his glass, dropping in a couple of maraschino cherries to top it off. “You know in some states they do something similar with sexual deviants. They encourage them to masturbate to their most bizarre fantasies and then they either shock them or introduce some other negative agent into the mix. You tried that?”

“I’m not a sexual deviant.”

Meg smiled and poured herself a Coke. “Well, never mind that then.”

“So, a healthy dose of some nasty medicine and I should be fine? Cured of my fourteen year affection for the one woman I can’t have? Cod liver oil and I’m all better?”

“That’s what the old wives would say.”

“What do you say?”

Meg took a drink, watching Doug over the rim of her glass. “I’d say you need to find a way to get her out of your system.”

“Well, I’m open to suggestions. I haven’t been able to find something to do it in all the years I’ve been looking.”

“Have you been looking hard enough?” Meg reached over slowly, resting her hand on top of Doug’s. “Or have you been looking just enough to make yourself not feel guilty?”

Doug turned his hand over, capturing hers. “Guilty?”

“For loving someone who is already in love.” Meg held his gaze as he stroked her palm, his fingers gentle on her firm, smooth skin.

“It’s not about guilt. It’s about longing.” His blue eyes darkened in the dim light, focusing on hers. “Wanting something you’re not allowed to have.”

“Just because you can’t have it, or because it’s really something you want?”

With his free hand, Doug fished the cherry out of his drink and slowly painted Meg’s lips with the damp fruit. “You’re the one doing the dissertation. You tell me.”

Her tongue snuck out to capture the cherry, and she tugged it off the stem and into her mouth. She was about to say something when a group of men walked into the bar, their noise driving her a step backward, taking her away from Doug.

“Hey Meggy!” One of the men gave her a laviscious wink. “How about some of the usual for all of us who actually work for a living.”

“Right up, Frannie!” She smiled at Doug as the group of men burst into laughter. “His name’s Francis, but no one calls him that.”

“Except you?”

“And his wife, from what I understand.” A look of sadness seemed to have settled across her face. “I have to go.”

“Me too.” Doug stood and pulled out his wallet, dropping a few bills onto the counter. “Thanks for listening. Hope all the research helps you get a good grade on your paper.”

“I’m sure I’ll have that Ph.D. in no time.” Meg gathered the money and smiled as Doug headed toward the door. She pocketed the bills then moved over to the other end of the bar. After serving the rowdy crowd, she dug the bills out and smiled, tracing her finger over the edge of the business card Doug had also left behind.

**

Bessie sat at the counter of Leery’s Fresh Fish staring morosely into her clam chowder. Bodie sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “What’s wrong, Bess?”

She sighed, wondering how to put the feeling into words. “Nothing. Everything.” She gave him a little grin. “It’s almost the end of summer and you and I haven’t had any time alone. Both working, always with Alexander. It’s just…I guess I’d hoped that our change in status would give us a little breathing room. Instead, it seems like nothing’s changed.”

“Our status hasn’t exactly changed yet.” Bodie ruffled her hair lightly. “We’re engaged. And that means things are going to get even more hectic. Weddings tend to do that to your life when you don’t have the myriad of resources available to the majority of the citizenry of Capeside.”

“Meaning we’re poor, so we’re going to have to scrimp and save to get even a decent wedding?”

“No.” He moved his head so that he could whisper the soft words against her neck. “I mean that we’re going to work our asses off just like always. Only now we’ve got some leeway. I’ve got money coming in from this job. Good money and partial ownership. And the B&B has done well this summer. Things are going to be tough for us, Bessie. But we’ll make the best of it.”

Feeling guilty, Bessie leaned into his embrace. “I know. And I’m being a bitch.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be quite that harsh.”

“Only because you’re too polite.” Bessie grinned. “Although it was nice of Mrs. Ryan to agree to watch Alexander tonight.”

“That’s right. She did, didn’t she?” Bodie gave her a hungry look then dove back toward her neck. Bessie giggled and pushed him away, but not too far. “And we’ve only got two couples?”

“One of whom is taking a night cruise along the Cape.” Bessie raised an eyebrow. “What do you say? You get off work and we’ll kick back all fun and fancy free? Pretend we’re Joey and Pacey, living it up on the high seas?”

“You really want to think about Joey and Pacey in the kind of positions I’m going to put you in?” Bodie’s soft voice danced along Bessie’s spine as she shook her head.

“Hey Bessie. Bodie. I hear congratulations are in order.” Doug sat on the stool next to Bodie, away from Bessie. He held out his hand to the other man. “I wish you guys the best.”

“Thanks, Doug.” Bodie shook his hand then slipped off his stool. “Well, I’ve got to get back to the kitchen if I plan on getting out of here any time before midnight. You hungry?”

Doug shrugged and pulled out a menu. “I’ll have to look the menu over. I don’t suppose you can recommend anything?”

“Well, I haven’t heard much about the chef, but I hear the Cajun shrimp and fettuccine is pretty good.”

“New chef, huh?”

“Questionable character.” Bodie donned his chef’s hat and raised an eyebrow. “You wanna risk it?”

“I like to live dangerously.” Doug nodded and Bodie disappeared into the kitchen. One of the waiters walked over and nodded to Doug.

“Get you anything to drink?”

“Water’s fine.”

“Bessie?”

“I’ll have a white wine.” She chewed her bottom lip as the glass was set in front of her, trying desperately not to look in Doug’s direction. When the waiter left, she took a bite of her chowder before turning slightly to face him. “I guess you got the rumor confirmed?”

“It was pretty easy to guess, overhearing part of your conversation.” Doug took a sip of his water. “Besides, one would assume such happy news is public knowledge. Or are you keeping it a secret from all the cream of Capeside society?”

“Are you the cream of society?” Bessie laughed softly. “Is that your new title?”

“Nope, still just a deputy.” He took another sip, deliberately not looking at her. “Anyway, congratulations. I hope you two are very happy together.”

“Do you?”

Her question was quiet, barely loud enough for him to hear over the regular din of the restaurant. He finally turned his head, his blue eyes like fire when they met hers. “Shouldn’t I? I mean, you’ve been together for a long time. I would think that the best thing that I could do is accept the fact that you’re both desperately in love with one another and want to start a real family. Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t that what the wedding is for?”

“The wedding to pledge my love to Bodie. To promise to be with him always.”

“Right. That’s what I said.” Doug was silent as Bodie walked out, a plate heaped with food in his hands. Bodie sat it in front of Doug. “So you guys have any idea when the wedding is? Anything finalized?”

“Nope. Still basking in the glow of engagement.” Bodie’s eyes went to Bessie’s, narrowing at the strange look there. “We figure that we’ll wait until Joey and Pacey get home before we start making any plans. Joey’s got college coming up, so we want to plan around that.”

“Have you heard from them?” Bessie asked quietly.

“Once or twice. Pacey calls Dad almost every week. Sounds like they’re having a great time.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry they took off on you. Worker and custodian dumping their responsibilities without warning.”

“Pacey told me,” Bessie admitted. “Not that he was taking Joey with him, since I figure he didn’t know it at the time. But he told me he was taking off for the summer.”

“Wow. Who knew my brother could be courteous.” Doug smiled and picked up his fork. “Smells great, Bodie. You liking this gig?”

“Cooking for the same folks who have looked down on us since we started dating? Hearing them gush on and on about my food, only to have them choke on it when they realize who prepared it? And then seeing them come in over and over again?” Bodie grinned widely. “I’m loving every minute of it.”

“Revenge is sweet, isn’t it?”

“Sweet enough.” Bodie tapped the counter. “I’ve got to get back to work. Dinner rush is about to start. Bess? I’ll see you in a couple of hours?”

“I’ll be here.”

Bodie left them again. Doug started in on his dinner, not paying any more attention to Bessie even though he could feel her eyes on him. She finished her meal in silence, only speaking up when the waiter reappeared to refill their glasses.

“That looks good.”

Both Doug and Bessie looked up at the words. Standing next to Doug was a woman, a little taller than Bessie with auburn hair and startling green eyes. Doug’s face instantly broke into a nervous smile. “Best food in Capeside.”

“You’ve never tasted my cooking,” she reminded him.

“True.” Looking over at the stool next to him, Doug nodded toward it. “Care to join me.”

“Me? Or us?”

Doug’s eyes raised to Bessie, who was staring at the other woman. “Me. This…uh, this is Bessie. An old friend. This is Meg.”

Bessie smiled weakly at the other woman as she moved to sit between her and Doug. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” The waiter walked over and smiled at Meg. She smiled back. “Coke please. Extra cherries.”

“Sure thing.” He fixed her drink and set it in front of her. “Would you like a menu?”

“I’ve seen exactly what I want.” Looking over at Doug, she smiled. “I’ll have the same as the gentleman.”

“I’ll place the order.” The waiter disappeared into the kitchen leaving the three of them alone in the awkwardness.

“You following me?” Doug asked quietly.

“Nope. Just thought I’d check out the local cuisine. That’s not a crime, is it, Officer?”

“Ah, you know more than you were telling.” Doug grinned as she smiled at him.

“I know lots of things. But most of all, I know the cops in town. Any good bartender worth her salt does.” She took a closer look at Doug’s plate. “So, what did I just order?”

“Cajun shrimp and fettuccine.”

“Marinated in cod liver oil?”

“That’s what gives it its tangy flavor.” Doug swirled some pasta on his fork before spearing a shrimp. He held the fork out toward her. “You want to try before you buy?”

Meg licked her lips before accepting the bite, savoring the taste, releasing the fork slowly. She chewed thoughtfully then swallowed, closing her eyes happily. “Delicious.”

The waiter walked out and set a plate in front of Meg, then turned to Bessie. “Anything else, Bess?”

“Another white wine.”

Meg imitated Doug’s gesture, swirling pasta and spearing the shrimp. She held her fork out to him and smiled. “I owe you a bite.”

Doug leaned in, his eyes darting past Meg to Bessie’s stony face. Wrapping his lips around the fork, he turned his gaze back to Meg as he pulled away. “You’re off work a little early for a bartender, aren’t you?”

“I just worked today for a friend until he could make it in. It’s officially my day off.” She turned back to her plate and started eating. “It’s just by pure chance that I happened to end up in the same place.”

Something in her voice told Doug that it was by no chance at all. “Well, lucky me then.”

“Very lucky.”

“I was thinking, Doug.” Bessie’s voice penetrated the veil that had seemed to surround the other two, bringing Doug’s gaze back to her. “Bodie doesn’t have a lot of friends around here, really. Maybe we’ll have to have you be in the wedding.”

He swallowed hard, working to keep his expression neutral. “That sounds great, Bess. Just let me know.”

Meg smiled at Bessie. “You guys been friends long?”

“Most of our lives,” Bessie informed her.

“I guess that comes from growing up in a small town,” Meg took a drink of her soda. “Everyone knows everyone, everyone has a hand in everyone else’s business. Even when it’s none of their business.”

Bessie’s eyes widened at the very subtle snub, glancing past Meg to Doug, who raised his own eyebrows, almost mockingly. “Yeah, small towns are like that.” Grabbing her glass, Bessie downed the dregs of her wine and slid off her stool. “Well, I’m going to have a word with Mitch and Gale. You’ll excuse me, won’t you?”

Meg smiled widely. “Oh please, don’t let us keep you.”

Doug watched Bessie storm off before he turned back to Meg. “You weren’t very nice.”

“Should I be? From what I could see of the situation, she was doing her very best to make you uncomfortable and guilty. Then she tried very deliberately to hurt you when you started paying more attention to me than to her. Doesn’t exactly seem the way a blushing bride-to-be should act.”

“You don’t understand everything here.”

“No,” Meg agreed. “And I don’t really care about what Bessie thinks of the fact that I’m having dinner with you. And I could care even less about what she’s going to think when I ask you to come home with me tonight.”

“You plan on asking me that?”

“I wouldn’t put it past me.” Meg slid off her stool and leaned against the counter, her leg brushing Doug’s.

“Aren’t you worried about propositioning a man who obviously has feelings for another woman?”

“Perhaps he just hasn’t found the right woman to get his mind off her.”

“You think that’s the case?”

Meg slid her hand up Doug’s thigh, fingertips trailing over the denim. “I think there’s only one way to find out.” Tilting her head, she smiled seductively. “Don’t you?”

Doug waved the waiter over and paid for both meals, sliding off his stool and moving behind Meg so that his body was pressed against hers. His hand snaked around her waist, pulling her back against him. “Actually, I can think of several ways to find out.” His breath was silky and hot on her neck. “If you’re lucky, we’ll get to them all.”

**

Meg pulled her car keys from her pocket and tossed them lightly to Doug. “You want to drive?”

“Where are we headed?”

“I thought my place.” She gestured to her car and waited as he unlocked the passenger door for her. “No chance of lingering memories for you.”

“What about your lingering memories?” He shut her door then walked around to the driver’s side, getting in and starting the car.

“I’m not the one hung up on someone who’s about to marry someone else, am I?”

“I don’t exactly k now that, do I?” Doug smiled at her in the pale evening light. “So, where are we headed?”

She placed his business card on the dashboard and shrugged. “I would think that the good law enforcement officials of Capeside would know all about their residents.”

“Knowing where a beautiful young lady lives before she tells me herself is roughly the equivalent of stalking, which is illegal even in Capeside.” Doug drove slowly, watching her out of the corner of his eye. “So, you gonna tell me or are we driving around all night?”

Meg smiled at him, turning in her seat so that she could watch him as she gave him her address. He drove there wordlessly, the soft sound of the radio filling the silence in the car. When he arrived at the address she’d given him, he killed the engine, turning to give her a long, hot look. Meg opened her door, sliding out of the car and starting for her house. Doug followed quietly, his eyes intent on the soft sway of her hips as she walked.

She stood by the door as he slipped the key into the lock, easing the door open for her. As they walked inside, he handed her the keys and shut the door behind him, dropping the room into a sort of still darkness. Unable to see, Doug stood still, listening to Meg as she moved close to him, pressing his body back against the door.

Her hands moved over his chest, unbuttoning his shirt quickly, tugging it from his belt. The gentle ping of buttons hitting the floor only seemed to speed her aggressive movements, stripping his shirt off his shoulders and arms, trapping it against the door.

Doug’s hands captured her arms, stilling her. She froze in his grip, her eyes seeking his in the darkness. Doug smiled and bent forward, letting his lips brush hers lightly. “We’ve got all the time in the world.” His hands smoothed up her arms, moving into the auburn curls of her hair, stroking the silky strands. “No rush.”

She nodded; her breath hot against his mouth as she kissed him, her tongue sweeping over his parted lips. Her hands reached around him, pushing his shirt to the floor. Doug ran his tongue along hers, testing the surface of it, sucking lightly as she explored his mouth, still spicy and hot from dinner.

Letting his fingers leave her hair, Doug ran his hands over the flannel of her shirt, moving over the collar to the button at the hollow of her neck. He began unfastening them, slowly, taking his time with each button, lost in their kiss as he calmly undressed her.

Meg’s hands ran over the thin material of Doug’s T-shirt, feeling his warm skin through the cotton. His back was strong and firm in her grip as she pulled the fabric free of his jeans, touching his bare back with exploring fingers.

Doug’s kisses trailed along Meg’s jaw, down her throat as he undressed her, slipping her shirt off of her body with practiced ease, struggling to control his shaking hands. Unhooking her bra, he guided it from her shoulders and pulled away just enough to strip it off her arms, leaving her creamy flesh exposed to the pale moonlight.

Stepping away from him, Meg sighed she moved her hands over Doug’s skin, releasing him just enough to find his hand. She tightened her grip on it and turned, guiding him toward her bedroom. He followed willingly, keeping her close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body. As they reached the door, he pulled her back against him and wrapped his hands around her waist, placing a soft kiss on the curve of her shoulder.

Tilting her head to the side, Meg sighed then turned, finding his lips with her own hungry ones, wanting to taste him again. Doug groaned quietly, lifting her off her feet and carrying her the last few feet into the room. He set her down at the edge of the bed, taking a step back so that he could pull his T-shirt over his head.

Meg’s fingers followed his hands, running over his chest and stomach. She stepped into him, replacing her hands with her breasts, pressing her tight nipples to the soft cushion of hair that covered his chest and stomach.

Doug dropped his shirt to the floor and wrapped his arms around her body, savoring the feel of her. His breath was hot in her ear as he whispered her name, letting his hands trail down her body to the curve of her hips, covered by the rough denim of her jeans.

They separated, both hungry for more. Meg’s hands sought out Doug’s belt as he unfastened her jeans, unzipping them as quickly as he could. The sound was loud in the room, silent except for their ragged breathing. Meg unhooked his belt and unbuttoned his jeans, pushing them over his slim hips, down his legs.

Attempting to undress each other simultaneously failed miserably, causing them both to laugh, easing everything but the sexual tension that filled the room. Doug stepped back and kicked his shoes off before discarding the rest of his clothes. Meg waited until he was finished then, her eyes adoring his body, slowly stripped off her jeans and panties.

“Now what?” she breathed.

“This,” Doug replied, stepping in again and capturing her in a hungry kiss. They fell back on the bed together, bodies and limbs tangled. Laughing softly, Meg pushed Doug off of her, forcing him onto his back. She straddled his thighs, smiling down at him.

“When was the last time you did this, Doug?”

He shrugged, looking away from her. “It’s been a while.”

“Good.” Meg leaned forward, one of her breasts brushing his lips. “I get to drive then.” She opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out a package of condoms. “Or are you one of those guys who doesn’t like it when he’s not in control.”

“Just because you’re on top doesn’t mean you’re in control.”

Meg lifted her eyebrow and positioned the condom on the tip of his erection. “You don’t think?” Just as he was about to answer, she slipped the sheath over him, smoothing it down with her hand. Doug shivered at the combination of sensations.

Raising up on her knees, she moved forward, guiding Doug toward the hot skin between her thighs. Shaking his head, Doug reached down and placed his hand over hers, controlling his own movements. Carefully, he ran the tip of his cock along the length of her cleft, smiling himself as she shivered. Moving over the dark flesh again, he stopped as he felt her damp opening. “What were you saying?”

Meg smiled slyly and lowered herself onto him; wet, warm flesh surrounding his hardness. She felt his body tense, his thighs clenching beneath her. “I was talking about control.”

Moving his hands to her hips, Doug slowly began thrusting up into her body, feeling the muscles tighten around him, the slick sounds of sex whispering. Meg timed her own strokes with his, her nails scraping lightly over his chest. His fingers dig into the yielding flesh of her thighs, holding her as he moved, their bodies colliding hungrily.

Meg’s knees tightened against his thighs and she sought out his hands, wanting something to hold onto. Doug refused her, letting one hand move down from her hip to the soft tangle of auburn hair between her thighs. His thumb stroked the damp, silky strands before slipping lower to find the hard nub of her clitoris, pressing lightly against it.

She shivered, her body glistening with perspiration as she pushed down against him, grinding against him, seeking out the pressure he teased her with. Doug complied with her body’s request, letting his thumb trace over her clit as he increased his thrusts, pushing hard inside her. She gasped softly, her muscles clamping around his invading cock as she rocked forward, shaking as she rode the crest of her orgasm.

Doug slowed his movement, his hips now gently pushing up toward her. Meg released his arms where she’d held onto him, her body trembling in spent reaction. Doug’s voice was a throaty purr. “Now, what were you saying about control?”

Slipping off of him, Meg settled next to him on the bed, nestling against his chest in the welcoming curve of his arm. She refused to let her gaze linger on his still rigid cock, refused to comment on the pulsing need he’d been unable to give in to. “I was saying that you are a fantastic lover, Doug Witter.”

He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. “That’s what I thought you were saying.”

She snuggled closer and closed her eyes, wondering at the bitter sting of tears that lingered behind her lashes. “Are you going to be terribly upset if I drift off here?”

“Exhaustion is a wonderful compliment,” he assured her, kissing her once more. Her auburn hair was tangled over his arm, twined around it like silk. “Sweet dreams.”

She yawned, nodding against his chest. “You’ll be here when I wake up?”

Doug didn’t answer as her breathing settled into the soft rhythm of sleep.

**

Doug watched Meg’s chest rise and fall slowly in sleep, the moonlight glinting off her skin. He closed his eyes briefly; fighting against the wave of guilt that flooded through him.

He sat up, feeling the cool air on his bare skin as he stared at the wall. There was no reason for guilt. He’d done nothing wrong.

Nothing.

He hadn’t betrayed anyone, cheated on anyone. Hadn’t stolen any moments that belonged to someone else. Yet all he could think about was the pained look in Bessie’s eyes as he’d flirted with Meg.

The guilt should be hers. She was living with another man, engaged to him, had his son. If anything was wrong, it was the dark longing in Bessie’s eyes. In his heart.

Slipping off the bed, Doug got dressed silently. He glanced back over his shoulder at Meg, hoping he hadn’t woken her.

She was on her side, facing him; head propped up on her hand. “It’s no use, is it?”

“What?” he asked quietly.

“You? Me?”

He sat on the edge of the bed, his back stiffening as she touched him. “Why did you do this?”

“Lure a gorgeous man back to my house for amazing sex?”

“Pursue a man so obviously hung up on someone else.”

“Call it a hero complex. Heroine complex, I guess. Trying to save you from yourself.”

“Why?”

“Because, Doug Witter, there are very few men in this town that make me look twice, much less follow them across town for carnal purposes.” Meg pulled her hand away and shrugged. “I wanted you. And, after talking with you for a while, I got to like you. Which made you all the more attractive.”

Doug reached back, his hand soft on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Meg shrugged, dislodging his hand. “Don’t be sorry.” Doug laughed softly, bitterly and Meg turned her head to look at him. “There wasn’t a single minute I didn’t enjoy. Well, until just now.”

“Same here,” Doug admitted.

“But it’s getting more uncomfortable by the minute. So maybe you should go.” Meg sat up, pulling the sheet with her, keeping her body covered. “Goodbye, Doug.”

He moved before she could respond, catching her in a heated kiss before releasing her hand starting for the door. He gave her one last smile before leaving, disappearing into the early morning light.

**

His car was still parked outside the Leery’s restaurant and a wry smile lifted the edge of his mouth. No doubt Bessie would have seen it when she and Bodie left last night, no doubt she would know very clearly where he’d gone.

He wondered briefly if she imagined that he’d spent the intervening years completely celibate, despite the fact that she’d been with Bodie. His smile lifted even further and turned ironic as he acknowledged that she wouldn’t be that far from the truth.

He unlocked his car and slid into the driver’s seat, leaning back and inhaling the crisp, early morning air. His body ached with tension, and he wished he’d been able to give in to Meg’s welcoming body. He hadn’t thought of Bessie while Meg was above him, her body tight around his, but he still hadn’t been able to let himself go.

He started the car and headed home, not willing to let his mind reevaluate the events of the evening. Not willing to think about what might have been different, what might have brought him relief. As he pulled up to his apartment, he shook his head, grinning at his own idiocy. “You had a beautiful woman on top of you and all you can think about is the woman you had a crush on when you were in high school,” he whispered the words under his breath. “God, you’re pathetic.”

Locking the door behind him, Doug shed his coat over the back of the couch. Had Pacey still been there, he would have made sure to hang it on the coat rack, if for no other reason than to annoy his brother. As he was alone, he left it there, not even caring as it slumped to the floor in a pile. He shrugged off his ruined shirt and dropped it on the floor as well, leaving a trail of dirty clothes behind him.

All he wanted was his bed. Cool sheets and sleep to ease away the aching tension that hadn’t dissipated during the short ride. He just needed to forget…or remember that she was even further off limits now than she’d ever been. Further off limits and, no doubt, disgusted with him for going home with another woman right in front of her.

Never mind the fact that she was engaged to another man, had his son, lived with him. Damn it. Doug slipped between the sheets then tossed them to the end of the bed, letting the still cool morning air dance over his bare skin. She had no right to be jealous, to be upset, to own this part of his mind. No right.

He closed his eyes, trying to recapture the look of Meg’s body in the pale moonlight, her auburn hair. Instead all he could see was Bessie, angry and hurt and accusatory, staring at him as though he’d just plunged a knife in her chest.

And then she segued into his Bessie, tongue caught between her lips as she dampened them, eyes hot with hunger, wearing the bathing suit she’d worn the last time he’d allowed himself to see her. He remembered the day at the beach during their senior year. She’d been tanned to this golden color that he hadn’t thought existed and her black bikini taunted more than it covered. One of her guy friends had just splashed her and her other friends with a bucket of cold seawater and when she sat up, spluttering, Doug’s eyes had been locked on the hard peaks of her nipples, so obvious under the thin material of her suit.

His breathing was faster now, the image in his head bringing the dull ache of arousal up to a persistent throb. He wrapped his hand around is cock, running it along the velvety surface with the softest of strokes. He’d tried to break this habit, this need, this betrayal of her. That day on the beach, she’d grabbed another towel and wrapped it around her as she and her friends had chased down the bucket-wielder and thrown him into the water.

Tonight – every night – she stood up and stared at him, her eyes as intent on him as his were on her breasts as she walked forward. Her hands reached around her back, bringing the hard tips of her nipples into even greater relief, then with dream-like slowness her bikini top fell to the ground and she stepped up to him, pressing the creamy, rose topped skin against his warm chest.

“Doug…”

He sank to his knees, finding one breast with his eager mouth as his hand caressed the other. His teeth grazed the nipple lightly before he began to suck, the gentle pressure forcing a quiet moan from Bessie’s mouth. With his hand, he found the tip of the other breast and teased it to further hardness, rolling it tenderly between thumb and forefinger.

“Doug…?”

His free hand wandered down her side, touching her skin with reverence until it found the curve of her hip and the thin strap of her bikini. He hooked one finger under the material and tugged, pulling it down just enough to allow him a bare glimpse of her all-over tan.

“Doug!”

He snapped out of his dream – fantasy – desire – realizing that the voice wasn’t her breathless encouragement but someone at his front door. He groaned deep in his throat and disengaged his hand from his swollen cock, wincing as he broke contact. He ached worse now, sharply painful and even more frustrated. Grabbing his robe from the foot of the bed, he stumbled over his clothes to the door and swung it open.

“What?”

His cock reacted before his eyes, swelling even more. Bessie stood there, tousled as if she’d just gotten out of bed. She was wearing a long jacket, far too heavy for the summer, and breathing roughly. “I’m sorry to bother you…”

He stepped back to invite her in, shaking his head all the while. “It’s fine. No bother.” As soon as she passed him, he shut the door and pulled his robe tighter around his waist, hoping that it concealed his problem. Bessie perched at the edge of the couch, looking ready to run at any moment. He stood in front of her, trying not to think about how close her mouth was, how hard his cock was straining for her to taste him. “Can I get you something?”

She was on her feet in an instant, her hot mouth pressed to his. Startled, he staggered backwards, falling over the coffee table and crashing to the floor. She fell with him, his arms having wrapped around her waist at first contact and he gasped into the kiss as her body pressed into his.

Bessie took advantage of his surprise, climbing further up his body so that they were of equal height. As she kissed him, her tongue tasting him as she plundered his open mouth, her hand found its way between the folds of his robe, wrapping around his cock.

Inhaling sharply as her hand found him, Doug moved his hands around to the front of her coat, untying the belt as best he could with her on top of him. As soon as he unfastened the tie, he slipped his hands beneath the material, moaning hungrily as he encountered smooth, naked flesh.

Bessie pushed away from him, releasing his cock as she did so. Her breath was ragged; her chest heaving as she stared at him in the dim light that trickled in through the windows. Doug stared over at her, shaking his head all the while. With a smooth gesture, he shoved the coffee table out of the way, not caring as the sound of breaking glass filled the room.

With a quick movement, his hands found her upper arms and he brought her close to him again, holding her just in front of him. Her eyes were wild as they sought out his, her tongue darting out between her lips. “Bessie?” he breathed, rolling her onto her back and pinning her beneath him. He let his hand slide down to open her coat further, baring her naked body to him.

Her chest rose and fell wildly as she looked up at him, her mouth open with hunger. “Doug.”

“Yes.” The word was something between a sigh and a whisper as he moved over her, his body hot and hard on top of hers. Bracing himself above her, Doug lowered his head, letting his lips and tongue trail down Bessie’s neck. Her hands pushed his robe off of him, guiding the material away from him as she smoothed her palms over his skin.

Ignoring the feel of her hands, Doug worked his way down to the curve of Bessie’s breast and took the nipple into his mouth. His tongue bathed the hard tip, sucking and nibbling on the erect skin. Bessie kneaded his shoulders, whispering breathy moans as he worked his way over to the other side, paying equal attention to the other creamy mound.

The gentle kneading changed, as Bessie’s hands became more insistent, pushing against the firm build of his shoulders, guiding him lower. Doug complied with her wishes, painting a trail of heat down her stomach as he made his way to the dark curls between her legs. His tongue tangled in them for a moment before drifting even lower, parting the dark pink skin and breathing in the heady, musky scent of her.

Running the tip of his tongue over the swollen flesh, Doug tasted her arousal, moaning deep in his throat. Her body arched toward him, urging him deeper, begging silently for penetration. Doug pulled away, shaking his head as he moved toward her, sliding between her legs. With the taste of her still on his tongue, he ran the tip of his cock, swollen and aching, along her wetness before pushing inside her.

“I’m sorry,” he pleaded softly. “I just need to be inside you. Oh God,” he thrust deeply, unable to control the desire, the need that drove him to fill her. “So badly.”

She didn’t respond, although her body did, opening up for him. Parting her legs further to allow him to penetrate her more easily, then wrapping her legs around him, over his hips, her heels digging into the taut muscles of his ass. Her hips rose off the floor, matching his madness, his thrusting frustration, stroke for stroke.

Doug apologized in soft pants, begging forgiveness as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pressing her into the cool floor, using his hips to continue to impale her. Bessie let her legs unwind from around him and braced her feet on the floor, meeting him in an impassioned frenzy as her fingernails dug into his back, piercing the flesh, leaving bloody half-moon marks on the tanned flesh.

“I’m sorry,” Doug barely got the words out before he lost control, pushing into her one last, long time. He could feel the heat and security leave him all at once, buried inside her. Bessie ignored him, continuing to thrust up against him until she found her own breaking point, bathing his sensitive cock.

Without a word, Doug rolled away from her, lying on the floor on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Bessie got to her feet and tugged her coat around her. He turned his head, almost smiling as he realized she was still wearing shoes. Looking up at her, the lightheadedness making the distance seem huge, all vestiges of the grin were pushed away.

“I apologized,” he whispered.

Bessie knelt down beside him, meeting his blue eyes coolly. “What do you have to apologize for?”

“Bessie…”

“You don’t owe me any apologies, Doug.”

“I needed you. Needed to be inside you.”

“Why?” Her eyes narrowed as she looked down on him. “Was that the only way you could wash her off of you?”

“I didn’t…”

Bessie shrugged and stood. “It’s none of my business what you do with your life. What you do with your nights. After all, I’m going to be a married woman.”

**

Doug looked up as the light shifted, someone sliding into the seat across from him. He forced his eyes to focus in the dimness and smiled. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite bartender.”

Meg raised an eyebrow and lifted his glass from the table, sniffing its contents. “I thought you didn’t drink.”

“I don’t.”

“What would you call this then?”

“This, I would call getting completely wasted in a tradition normally only perpetuated by my father and younger brother. However, since Dad’s on duty and Pacey’s on the high seas, I feel it’s my obligation to keep up the long history of the Witter men.”

“And how much…history have you had?”

“You’d have to ask the very nice gentleman behind the bar. He was kind enough to, not only serve me the poison of my choice, but to take my car keys from me to ensure that I didn’t endanger anyone’s life but my own.”

“How long have you been here, Doug?”

“What time do you open?”

“Is this about last night?”

His eyes narrowed at the softly spoken question and he took another drink, draining the half-full glass. “Last night when I fucked you? Or last night when I got fucked over?”

“Whichever. Both?”

He saluted her with the now empty glass. “I didn’t quite tell you the whole story yesterday.” He motioned to the bartender who cast a glance at Meg. She shrugged and he brought over a bottle, setting it in front of Doug. As he reached for it drunkenly, Meg grabbed it and refilled his glass.

“You’re not obligated to,” she noted. “In the bartender’s rulebook it says customers aren’t required to divulge all information. It’s not like in a court of law where you’re confessing under oath.”

“I wasn’t just a customer though, was I?” His voice seemed small and pained.

“No,” Meg admitted. “You weren’t.”

“Full disclosure might apply then?”

Meg sighed and picked up his drink, staring down into the amber liquid. “You tell me what you want to tell me, Doug. But it’s not going to change what happened between us, and neither is drinking yourself into a stupor.”

“Last night, after I got home, Bessie came by to visit me.” He grabbed the neck of the bottle and took a long pull off of it. “Not visit. Not really. Bessie came by to fuck me.”

“I see.”

“She does it all the time. Not so much now that Bodie is back in town, but I’d say at least once a month. It was tougher when Pacey was living with me, tougher still with Bodie here. But while he was gone, it happened at least once a week. She shows up and I do whatever she wants.”

Meg set down his glass and forced her eyes to his. He was looking at her, the deep blue free of artifice. “I don’t want to know this, Doug.”

“And I don’t know how to say no to her. I don’t even know if I want to. But last night it wasn’t the same. I mean, normally, she allows me some semblance of dignity, allows me to pretend that there’s something in it for me other than the feel of her around me.”

“There is a whole world of bars out there, Doug, and a whole world of bartenders.” Meg started to stand. “Tell one of them. I don’t want to know.”

“Last night, she came by to punish me.”

“By fucking you?”

“Sounds stupid, doesn’t it? I mean, how can it be bad, right? How could fucking me be punishment? How could letting me have my fondest desire come true be anything but perfect?” He reached out for the bottle, forcing his eyes up to hers. “I’ll tell you how. I don’t want to fuck her. I want to make love to her. I don’t want to be a warm body that beats the hell out of the little plastic vibrator she’s got under the bed.”

Meg leaned down, her voice a low hiss. “I don’t care.”

“I want her to make love to me and let me love her. I want to have everything she’s got with him and I want it to be mine. I want to know that when I go home, she’ll be there. I want…”

“I don’t give a fuck what you want.” Meg started to walk off, stopped as Doug caught her arm. He tugged her toward him, forcing her onto the seat next to him. His hand stayed locked around her wrist, holding her captive. “Let me go, Doug.”

“It’s funny, she said almost the same thing. She said she didn’t care what I did with my life. Or with my nights.”

“And you expect me to?”

He shrugged, unsure. “It’s hard to tell underneath all this alcohol, but I think I’d like you to.”

“Tell me something, Doug.” Meg lowered her voice, making sure none of the other patrons in the bar could hear her. “Did you come for her? Were you able to get off inside her?” When his face darkened, she nodded. “Tell me something else, suppose I’d kept you at my place last night and I’d tied you down and fucked you all night long. Would you ever have come? Would you have shot your load inside me?” The words seemed foreign in her mouth, in the air between them. “Or would you have spent the night trying not to betray the woman who betrays you every time she comes near you?”

He didn’t answer.

“That’s what I thought. Hey Mike,” she called out to the bartender, gesturing back toward Doug. “Call him a cab. It’s about time he leaves.” He nodded, picking up the phone as Meg smirked. “You know last night, Doug, I thought you were attractive and sexy and worth the time and trouble. I was wrong.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah,” Meg grabbed the bottle off the table and walked away without looking back. “You are.”


End file.
